Monday, 21 January 2019

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind will confer the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019 at Rashtrapati Bhawan tomorrow. The awards will be given to 26 shortlisted awardees including one joint award for National Child Award (now renamed as Bal Shakti Puraskar) under the category of innovation, scholastic, sports, arts & culture, social service and bravery. A total of 783 applications were received for the Baal Shakti Puruskar this year. 2 individuals and 3 institutions will also be awarded under National Child Welfare Awards category (now renamed as BalKalyanPuraskar). The names of awardess were finalized by the National Selection Committee under the Chairpersonship of WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has introduced a revamped award scheme under the name of “Pradhan Mantri National Children Awards”. These awards will be given in two main categories. Bravery Awards have also been added to these awards now. The categories are as follows:

1) Bal Shakti Puraskar (erstwhile known as National Child Award)

2) Bal Kalyan Puraskar(erstwhile known as National Child Welfare Award).

1) Bal Shakti Puraskar shall be given in the following fields:

Innovation

Social Service

Scholastic

Sports

Art & Culture

Bravery

The award carries a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/-, book vouchers worth Rs. 10,000/-, a certificate and a citation.

2) Bal Kalyan Puraskar shall be given in the following categories:-

a. Individual

b. Institution

The award for individual consists of a cash prize of Rs. 1, 00,000/- (one lakh), a medal, a citation and a certificate to each awardee.

The award for institution consists of a prize of Rs. 5,00,000/- each and a medal, a citation and a certificate.

The maximum number of awards would be 3(three) for National Child Welfare Award( Individual and Institution both)

In order to popularize the scheme amongst general public and make it more genial, this Ministry has launched an award portal (i.e www.nca-wcd.nic.in) developed by NIC on 01.08.2018 for accepting the online applications. A Child who is an Indian Citizen and residing in India can apply for National Child Award by registering on the web portal, filling the requisite information and attaching the relevant documents. In order to draw wide response from public, any citizen of India can nominate any child who has achieved excellence in any of the field. Individuals who are citizen of India and have made an outstanding contribution for the cause of children in the field of Child Development, Child Protection and Child Welfare for not less than 7 years and have a positive impact on the lives of children and Institutions who have done exceptional work for the cause of children in any field of Child Welfare for 10 years can apply for the National Child Welfare Award.

The logo for the award has been crowdsourced through a social media based competition. The awards are being hosted prior to 26th January so as to ensure that children get to participate in the Republic Day Parade.

‘Development of rural areas should not erode their unique identities but must fortify their spirits. The facilities in villages must resemble those of a city but the soul and the values of Indian villages, must be preserved’, the Vice President of India Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu said today. He was addressing the gathering at the presentation ceremony of AICTE-ECI-ISTE Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards and AICTE- SAGY Initiative awards in New Delhi today.

Shri. Naidu said that the Awards would challenge young students to come up with novel ideas that have great potential to impact life in villages through technological interventions at the grass root level. Expressing his agreement with Mahatma Gandhi’s statement that ‘the future of India lies in its villages’, the Vice President said that development of villages is an essential precondition to development of the nation.

The Vice President said that educational institutions must re-orient their curricula to ensure that students spend time in rural areas, interacting with people and understanding their problems.

The Vice President opined that by steering itself towards eco friendly industrialisation, sustainable urbanisation, and inclusion of the rural economy, India has the potential to not only become the world’s fastest growing economy, but also to serve as an inspiration, a model to the world

Expressing disappointment that our vision for development is still largely urban centric, Shri. Naidu lamented that rural India still lagged behind urban India in terms of crucial development indicators.

Highlighting the importance of redeeming our agriculture sector which is still the main stay of rural economy, the Vice President said that we have to constantly innovate and reinvent our agricultural practices to make farming much more rewarding, profitable and sustainable.

Shri. Naidu said that 'One size fits all' approach will not ensure development in a vast and diverse country like India. ‘Every village has its own individuality, its own industries & its own developmental needs. Our plans should capture aspirations of the people, leverage their strengths & mitigate their weaknesses’, he reasoned.

Expressing his firm conviction that development and environmental conservation are not mutually exclusive goals but are complimentary, the Vice President urged young technocrats to consider the environmental cost of their innovations on a priority basis while calculating feasibility. ‘We can no longer afford to neglect our ecological footprint’, he warned.

Expressing his anguish at the dual challenges of malnutrition and hidden hunger on one hand and obesity and lifestyle diseases on the other, that India faces today, Shri. Naidu urged young people to maintain a balanced diet and lead a healthy life style. ‘Only a healthy nation can be a wealthy nation’, he added.

Calling for balanced development, the Vice President said that our approach to development must have a dual focus, it must be comprehensive and must keep both urban and rural realities in view. He added that our urban spaces were becoming increasingly congested and suggested that distress migration could be prevented by providing livelihood, connectivity, health services, infrastructure and avenues for recreation in rural areas.

The Vice President said that 3 ‘D’s - Demography, Demand and Democracy are making the India of today outshine other countries in the world and added that he had full faith in the vision and capabilities of India’s youth who make up 65% of the country’s population.

He congratulated the All India Council of Technical Education’s endeavour to catalyse rural development in association with the Engineering Council of India (ECI) and the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE).

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The following is the full text of the speech:

I am delighted to present the AICTE-ECI-ISTE Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards and AICTE SAGY Initiative awards to those passionate young students who have showcased their ideas in tune with the theme of ‘Empowerment of villages through Technologies’.

I am also delighted to know that faculty mentors have worked hard to counsel these students to convert their brilliant and innovative ideas into feasible, functional prototypes.

I am happy to note that AICTE, in association with ECI and ISTE, have conceived the Chhatra Vishwakarma awards for challenging our young students to come up with novel ideas that have great potential to impact life in our villages through technological interventions at the grass root level.

In the Rigveda, the most ancient of all Vedas, Lord Vishwakarma is revered as the deity who is the original creator, architect and divine engineer of the universe.

I hope that this event, named after the creative genius Vishwakarma, will inspire each and every one of you to conceive ingenious new ideas and technologies and create inventive and innovative solutions to pressing problems at hand.

My dear young friends,

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation once remarked that the future of India lies in its villages.

I am in full agreement with this statement.

Development will be a distant and unfulfilled dream, until we realize that the development of villages is an essential precondition to development of the nation.

I am immensely pleased to know that our educational institutions have begun to realize that the key to India’s prosperity lies in our villages.

I have always maintained that students should be encouraged to spend time in rural areas, interacting with people and understanding the problems that they face.

Interventions from educational institutions which are often the fountainheads of innovation can dramatically transform the rural landscape and find solutions to the most crucial issues.

I have been personally associated with the welfare of villages and villagers all through my public life.

The development of villages is an issue that is very close to my heart.

I applaud the efforts of those Institutes which have been awarded the AICTE-SAGY Initiative award.

I congratulate AICTE for having taken this momentous step at time when we are working tirelessly to improve the plight of our villages.

It is heartening to note that AICTE, which is the regulator for technical education in India, is spreading its wings to become a facilitator for the development of the nation.

Dear Students,

I believe that India has the potential to not only become the world’s fastest growing economy, but also to serve as an inspiration, a model to the world.

But in order to achieve this coveted goal, India must steer itself towards eco friendly industrialisation, sustainable urbanisation, and inclusion of the rural economy.

According to census 2011, nearly 69% of our population lives in rural areas.

Though we have made considerable progress in the sphere of rural development, much more needs to be done to make rural India economically, socially and politically empowered.

Since agriculture is still the main stay of the rural economy, we have to constantly innovate and reinvent our agricultural practices in tune with the realities of diminishing natural resources and changing weather and rainfall patterns.

Students of agriculture, engineering and allied sciences must spend more time in agricultural fields to device solutions to improve productivity and sustainability of our agriculture.

There is nothing more important than ensuring food security for our people.

Your innovations need not be ground breaking and transformative, they could very well be incremental and basic.

If they are able to solve real problems I am sure that they will survive, sustain and flourish.

Our Government is doing its best to promote innovations through a variety of programs and schemes. I hope that these initiatives serve as launch pads for young, budding inventors and scientists such as yourself.

My dear young friends,

India is a vast and diverse country. One size fits all programs and policies will not ensure development in India.

Every state, every village, has its own individuality, its own traditional crafts and industries and its own very special set of developmental needs. The people in villages have a certain unique set of skills and capabilities.

When we plan for development, these factors must be taken into consideration. In essence, the plan should capture the aspirations of the people, leverage their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses.

Development is not necessarily building sky scrapers. It could very well be empowering the local craftsmen and entrepreneurs and enabling small and medium industries.

It has been found that small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for 45% of industrial value addition and 40% of the workforce.

Thus development of rural areas should not erode their unique identities but must fortify their spirits.

The amenities in villages must resemble those of a city but the soul and the values of Indian villages, must be preserved.

My dear students,

There is a lot of indiscretion and arbitrariness in the way we consume natural resources today.

It has been found that at our current population and rate of resources consumption, we need 1.5 Earths to survive.

Therefore, I urge each and every one of you to consider the environmental cost of your inventions and innovations on a priority basis when you measure their feasibility.

We can no longer afford to neglect our ecological foot print.

I do not believe that development and environmental conservation are mutually exclusive goals.

With focus on green and clean sources of energy, reduction in consumption and efficient waste management, we can very well make our villages hubs of progress as well as sanctuaries for thriving ecosystems.

Let me remind you that our country is on a relentless quest to maximize our renewable energy potential and has recently increased its previous 2022 capacity target for renewable energy from 175GW to 227.6 GW.

The brunt of global warming and changing weather patterns including unseasonal rains, flood and drought are borne mostly by the poor and the marginalized, especially the farmers.

I therefore urge you to give clean energy a place of paramount importance in your technological innovations.

Ours is a vast country with complex challenges but infinite opportunities.

Urban India is witnessing Industrial revolution 4.0. However, I must impress upon you that in the hinterlands of the country one can find industry 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 co-existing.

You as technocrats must be flexible enough to adapt your innovations to suits the needs of all these various phases of the Industrial Revolution.

My dear young friends,

I must not fail to impress upon you that in our bid to develop rural India, we must not falter in our attempts to facilitate the development of urban India.

With 34% of the population living in cities, urban India is already the world’s second largest country.

Hundreds of millions more migrate to India’s cities.

Yet, only 10 cities have metro rail and 15 more have metro construction in the pipeline.

Much more investment is needed for improved mobility, connectivity and ease of living in urban areas.

Our approach to development must have a dual focus.

It must be comprehensive and must keep both urban and rural realities in view.

At this point in time, India as a Nation stands at cross roads of resurgence.

While most developed nations are aging, India stands out with its rich demographic dividend having 50% population below 25 years. In terms of sheer number, it translates to 65 Cr young and energetic citizens.

We are an emerging market and we are deeply committed to upholding our constitution and democratic values.

These three ‘D’s - Demography, Demand and Democracy- is what is making the India of today outshine other countries in the world.

My dear friends,

It was heartening to know that more than 1600 teams from across the India participated in this event with contribution of nearly 1700 girl students across all teams.

I have been informed that this event was conceptualized in year 2017 and this is the second year of its execution. I am extremely happy to note that the number of teams that have been shortlisted for the national convention has already doubled this year.

The AICTE –SAGY Initiative award will definitely inspire all the higher educational institutions in the country who wish to participate in Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.

I would only like to re-iterate that the collective vigour and energy of our young minds is the force that is catalysing the resurgence of India.

Excellence should be our goal- our Mantra. We owe it to the billion dreams that propel our country forward to be a global leader in all respect.

I hope that you will keep learning, innovating and inspiring.

I have great faith in your vision and in your capabilities.

I wish you all great success in your endeavours to make India the world capital of knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

Pravasi Bhartiyas are partners in progress of the motherland: Smt. Sushma Swaraj

New Zealand MP puts up request for dual citizenship and Rajya Sabha Nomination for NRIs

The 15th Edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas got off to a grand start at Deendayal Hastakala Sankul in Varanasi today. External Affairs Minister, Smt Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas on day one of PBD-2019.

Union Minister of State and incharge of Overseas Indian Affairs- Gen. V. K. Singh (Retd.) along with the Guests of Honour- Himanshu Gulati, Member of Parliament of Norway and MP from New Zealand, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi were present on the occasion.

In her inaugural address, the External Affairs Minister said India is a land of limitless opportunities and Pravasi Bharatiyas are and will continue to be partners in progress of our motherland. She emphasized that shared identity and shared commonness are the key features which bind us together which will grow manifold in years to come. The Minister said that the story of Pravasi Bharatiyas is a tale of courage, determination and character and cited the examples of Google CEO, Sunder Pichai, Microsoft COO Satya Nadella, IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath to name a few. She thanked the diaspora for kindling a new wave for India abroad.

Union Minister of State Information and Broadcasting (independent Charge) and Sports and Youth Affairs, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore spoke about the unique and binding force of Indian identity and said Pravasi Bharatiya community is India's best Ambassador. He urged them to join in the building of a New India. The Minister lauded the role of NRIs in preserving their cultural values and respect for the motherland.

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh looks up to the diaspora community for its valued contribution.

30 year old Norwegian MP, Himanshu Gulati recalled the journey of his parents from India to Norway 40 years ago. He said that natural resource are our biggest assets and youth must imbibe the values of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Be the change you want to see’.

Guest of Honour, MP from New Zealand, Kanwaljeet Singh Bakshi said Agriculture and Horticulture are key areas in which India and New Zealand can collaborate.

The MP put up the request for Dual citizenship and Nomination of NRIs to Rajya Sabha for active participation in politics. He urged people to take pride in their culture and heritage.

Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas has been organized with a view to share the ideas for a New India among the NRI youth and the generation next back home.

The Chief of the Naval Staff reviewed an impressive ‘Guard of Honour’ by the smartly turned out Cadets selected from all the three Wings of NCC i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force. This was followed by a brilliant band display by the cadets. The CNS also inspected the well laid out flag areas prepared by the NCC cadets, from all the 17 NCC Directorates, depicting various Social Awareness themes. Various Naval ship models fabricated by the cadets were also displayed.

Later, the Admiral witnessed a spectacular cultural performance put up by the multi talented the Cadets, depicting the rich Indian Culture.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of the Naval Staff complimented the Cadets for presenting an impressive ‘Guard of Honour’. He was impressed by the smart turnout and drill of the Cadets. He stated that NCC is a premier youth organisation which single- mindedly engaged in grooming Nation’s Future leaders & empowering them to don the mantle of country’s leadership, as well as excel in all walks of life. He noted the contribution of NCC Cadets towards Nation Building and their indomitable spirit and support during calamities. He also appreciated the efforts in pursuit of naval activities, to include long duration and high risk sailing. The CNS also urged the NCC Cadets to join the armed forces and serve the motherland.

For the first time, the three day long convention is being organized in Varanasi from 21-23 January, 2019. The theme of PBD Convention 2019 is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India".

In reverence to the sentiments of the larger diaspora to participate in Kumbh Mela and Republic Day celebrations, the 15th PBD Convention is being organised from 21 to 23 January 2019 instead of 9th January. After the Convention, participants will visit Prayagraj for Kumbh Mela on 24th January. They will then proceed to Delhi on 25th January and witness the Republic Day Parade at New Delhi on 26th January 2019.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Pravind Jugnauth will be the chief guest of the PBD convention. Mr. Himanshu Gulati, Member of Parliament of Norway, will be the Special Guest while Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Member of Parliament of New Zealand will be the Guest of Honor at the 15th edition of PBD.

Key events of this edition include-

21 January, 2019- Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. The event will provide opportunities for the young Diaspora to engage with New India.

22 January 2019 - Inauguration of PBD convention by Prime Minister in presence of Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth.

23 January 2019 – Valedictory Session & Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards by the President of India.

Various plenary sessions are also scheduled during the event. The evenings are marked with cultural programs.

About Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas:

The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was taken by the former Indian Prime Minister, late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The 1st PBD was celebrated on 9th January, 2003 in New Delhi. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate PBD as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, had returned to India from South Africa.

PBD now celebrated once in every two years, provides a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and reconnect with their roots. During the Convention, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is conferred on the selected overseas Indians for their significant contributions to various fields both in India and abroad.

14th PBD held during 7–9 January 2017 at Bengaluru, Karnataka was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The theme for the 14th PBD was "Redefining engagement with the Indian diaspora”. In his address, Mr. Modi had said that Indian diaspora represents the best of Indian culture, ethos and values and are respected for their contributions. He underlined the importance of a continuous engagement with the overseas Indian community as a key area of priority for the Government.

India Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference will be held in Mumbai from 22nd to 24th January, 2019. The three-day event organised by Ministry of Steel will help chart out the future growth path of the steel industry. The event will witness the participation of the companies across the industrial spectrum ranging from MSMEs to the biggest names in the Indian and international steel sector. The event provides an opportunity for all the stakeholders to deliberate and identify ways to contribute towards building a robust roadmap for the further growth of the steel sector. The presence of international technology providers is an added attraction for the Indian companies to interact with them for technology upgradation or technology transfer. The products,technologies and the best practices of steel production around the globe will be on display at the exhibition.

Over 250 exhibiting companies from 15 countries, over 200 International hosted buyers and large number of delegates are expected to hold business meetings during this event. More than 10,000 business visitors both from India and abroad are expected to visit.

Ministry of Steel organises the India Steel Exhibition and Conference once in two years. Over the years, the event has become the most preferred platform for buyers, sellers, technology providers, manufacturers, traders, importers, investors and other allied organizations and institutions from steel sector to interact and develop business. India has become the second largest producer of crude steel during 2018. The country is also the largest producer of sponge iron in the world and the 3rd largest steel consumer in the world after China and USA. The National Steel Policy 2017 announced by Ministry of Steel envisages production of 300 million tonnes by 2030-31. The Government has also announced a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured iron and steel products in government procurement. The India Steel-2019 is part of series of initiatives to develop a globally competitive steel industry in line with NSP-2107.

Several events and Exhibitions on display at Varanasi Ghats on the opening day The stage is all set for the beginning of 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Varanasi tomorrow , 21st January 2019. For the first time in the history of Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, the event is being held in Varanasi, the cultural and spiritual capital of India. Over the next three days from 21st to 23rd January , the city will be a witness to scores of sessions, seminal talks by experts and luminaries in their fields, cultural programmes and visit of the NRIs to renowned places of Kashi, Sarnath and Ganga Ghats among others. The theme for PBD 2019 is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India". Several world leaders of Indian origin will share their insights into the role of Indian diaspora for a New India. Major events include -

Youth PBD: The opening day on 21st January will mark the Youth PBD with the focus on the generation next especially from Uttar Pradesh. The young diaspora will engage with its counterparts back home in India. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj along with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, MoS sports and Youth affairs, Colonel Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore will share the dais with Member of Parliament from New Zealand Kanwal Jeet Singh Bakshi and MP from Norway Himanshu Gulati among others.

Plenary : PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the PBD on 22nd January with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnath as the Chief Guest. Several plenary sessions will be held on issues ranging from challenges and opportunities to sustainable development , artificial intelligence and cyber capacity to name a few at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trade Facilitation Centre-TFC, the main venue of PBD at Bada Lalpur of Varanasi. PM Modi will also host a lunch for the Heads of states and over fifty selected Pravasi Bhartiya delegates and leaders.

Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award: The Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award PSBA is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indian. It will be conferred by the President Ram Nath Kovind on 23rd January to selected NRIs, PIOs, organisation or institution established and run by the NRIs who have made significant contribution to various fields both in India and abroad.

Cultural Events : As the PBD is being organised at Varanasi, the cultural and spiritual capital of India, numerous cultural activities have been embedded in such a way that the delegates may get a very enticing, enriching and fulfilling experience. In the run up of the PBD, several exhibitions including a digital exhibition on the theme of 'Ek Bharat Swacch Bharat: Sardar Patel and Gandhi ke Sapno ka Bharat, has been put up among others. These exhibitions are being organised at TFC Bada Lalpur, BHU and the Tent City. The Ghats of Ganga have specially been decorated to welcome the guests with their divine attraction. The three day mega event has changed the hue of Varanasi. The citizens have also started living and feeling the Pravasi Bhartiy Diwas with several hundred guests residing in the homes of local residents of Kashi under Kashi Atithya Yojana.